The following is information for completing the work permit process. The third and final stage involves applying for an alien registration card (ARC). An alien registration card is required for such matters as opening a bank account, signing a lease, and applying for a driver’s license. Also, you should carry your ARC with you at all times as your form of ID in Korea.

At the Immigration Office:
1 – Upon arrival, take a queue number from the dispenser.
2 – When your number shows up on the display, present your signed application with the revenue stamp/s, your passport, and 3 passport photos to the Immigration officer. First time applicants will be finger-printed.

a. Revenue stamps, which cost 10,000 KRW per stamp, can sometimes be purchased in the immigration office. However, for offices outside of Seoul, often the revenue stamp vendor is located in a separate building a short walk from the immigration office. An official will give you directions.

b. For E-2 visa holders, a 10,000 KRW stamp is required for the alien registration application and 50,000 KRW to obtain multiple-entry visa status. An E-2 visa is issued as a single-entry visa. If you would like to take a trip outside Korea during the employment period, it’s a good idea to apply for multiple entry status.

c. You must have your school’s business registration ID number. That includes public schools as well.

3 – The immigration official will give you a receipt with the date that you can return and pick up your passport and alien registration card. It usually takes 10-14 days to process an alien registration card.

Joined: 11 May 2003Location: the only country with four distinct seasons

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2003 4:32 am Post subject:

Did you all know that they now deliver?
I just renewed my visa and filled out a delivery form at the same time and within three days it was at my work. I paid 6,000 for it, but better than spending 2-3 hours travelling and waiting.

For my gyopo brothers and sisters out there: a short story about my trip to get my ARC.

I went to the immigration office in Seoul. Their number is 02-2650-6223, but the Korean prompts didn't prove useful to me. So I just went there with information I gathered from Dave's as well as their own immigration website. I armed myself with my passport, (3) 3cmx4cm photos, and 10,000 won. I took the subway, Line 5 Purple, and got off at Omokgyo #521. I exited at Exit 7 and walked straight for 10 min. I followed any curve in the street and finally approached the tall 7-story gray building that said Immigration on it.

I entered through the front doors and decided I should go left. Pulled a number from the machine immediately, since it looked like there was a long wait ahead of me. Didn't find any relevant forms so I went to the right and found "Alien Registration Application". I filled it out and waited my turn. When I got in, the guy said I was supposed to go to the right side. Darn, I thought this was the right one. I went over there and pulled a number from the "Other Nationalities" machine, ignoring the Chinese and Japanese ones. I thought it was kind of weird that there was no "Korean" machine, but the said to come here. I waited for an hour there and finally got my number called. The lady took a look at my visa and said that since I'm a gyopo on an F-4, I needed to go to the second floor. OK, great. Thanks to the dumbass from the left, it's now 5:30pm, but I still got a little time left.

So I went upstairs and pulled yet another number from a machine. When I got called and gave the guy my stuff, he frowned and said that I needed my hojuk deung bon (i.e. family registry) from both my mom and my dad's side. Now this got to me. I remember jumping through several hoops at the Korean Embassy back in the US, going back multiple times with more and more documents that they requested, including the hojuk. I had given them all the documents for the visa and didn't bring any copies, and, I have never seen or heard of anyone needing this to get their alien registration card.

I needed to argue. However, unlike the downstairs clerk, this guy could only speak about 10 words in english. So I did my best impression of korean negotiation as I could, which included complaining and whining and saying the same thing over and over again. Since my korean is just slightly below a preschool level, I basically said, why do I need a hojuk again, I already gave the hojuk to get my visa, why do I need it again. He read the korean instructions written on my visa, explaining that they require the hojuk. I ignored that and said, I already provided my hojuk when I applied for the visa, why do I need it again. He frowned and flipped through my passport and then said again, that I needed my hojuk. I said, why do I need it, the visa proves I provided it already, I don't need it. He frowns again and flips through my passport again as if this stalling tactic was going to work on me. Unfortunately for him, I was not going to take no for an answer. So I just sat there staring at him, visibly showing my annoyance as well as my countenance.

After doing this little a dance a couple more times, he finally went over to the computer, looked at something, then looked at some binder. He came back and gave me a residence application to fill out and told me to make copies of my passport and visa downstairs in the basement and get a revenue stamp. I asked him if he would process my application if I did that and he said yes. So, with a little disbelief, I went downstairs, had the copies made and filled out the form. I bought the revenue stamp for 10,000 won at the little office back on the first floor.

I went back upstairs, pulled yet another number and waited. When my turn came, I gave him all the stuff. I was worried that he was going to tell me that my passport photos were too small. The website was wrong about the size - the forms clearly ask for 35mmx45mm photos. Amazingly, he took all of it and starting stamping everything. Then he gave me a pick-up slip and told me that it would be ready in 2 weeks. I confirmed this multiple times before leaving. Yay, I'm going to get my ARC!

From Suwon Station take bus # 92. It's across from the station on the North-East corner; that's the one where you see all the buses gathering on the left side(across the street) as you come out of Suwon Station.

The fare is 850 Won.

It takes about six or seven stops to get there. The stop is Kyonggi Regional Office SMBA. The office is on the NE corner; you can't miss it.

Go to the second floor. Take a ticket for #4 on the right side, get your 10 000 Won stamp on the left side. Relax.

When you apply for your ARC, you now need to bring your original degree (or presumably the notarized copy) and contact information for your university. Also if you secured the job via a recruiter, you need to supply his contact information.